A PIECE of newly-restored coalmining heritage is back taking pride of place in its home village.

The Marsden Lodge Banner, which represents all those pitmen who worked at Whitburn Colliery (also known as Marsden Colliery), was returned last year after it had been in storage for more than two decades in the Miners’ Hall in Durham.

Since then, the banner has been restored by the Marsden Banner Group, a team of enthusiastic local volunteers dedicated to preserving the area’s mining heritage.

And now the banner has been put on permanent display at Whitburn Library, in Mill Lane.

Whitburn and Marsden ward councillor Peter Boyack said: “We’re all very proud of our rich mining heritage, and it’s wonderful to see the Marsden Lodge Banner restored back to its former glory and put on display for the public to view.

“It is a treasured memento, which marks Whitburn Colliery’s contribution to the once-thriving coalmining past, and up until now, it had remained hidden from sight since 1983.

“We’re delighted it now takes pride of place in the village and is helping to keep the spirit and culture of the local mining community alive.”

The intricate repair work was carried out by banner restorer Billy Middleton, a former blacksmith at Thornley and Easington collieries.

Banner Group chairman, Brian Cauwood, whose father, grandfather and great-grandfather all worked at Whitburn Colliery, said: “We are grateful to all those who have helped with this restoration and been involved in bringing it back to where it belongs – right at the heart of the local community.”

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